$Boston Red Sox lose Adam Duvall to fractured wrist$

Boston Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall (18) walks off the field with the trainer during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox lose Adam Duvall to fractured wrist

By Aaron Somers | Last updated 4/10/23

Signed in the offseason to provide depth in the outfield and a potential bat off the bench, Adam Duvall has unexpectedly been one of the best pieces of the Boston Red Sox lineup in the early going this season. Duvall won the job with a strong spring training and that pace has continued these first two weeks. The Sox, however, will be without their starting center fielder as Alex Cora told reporters on Monday that Duvall had fractured his wrist.

Adam Duvall has a distal radius fracture in his left wrist. No timetable yet as they gather more information but obviously a minimum of "weeks". Any fracture takes four to six weeks to heal.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) April 10, 2023

In the 9th inning of Sunday's game at Detroit, Duvall charged in to make a play on a Spencer Torkelson fly ball. As he dove for the ball his glove seemingly got caught up underneath him, bending his arm back. Duvall immediately left the game, with Raimel Tapia coming in for the final three outs.

Duvall hit .455/.514/1.030 with four home runs in 37 plate appearances on the year.

A .230/.289/.465 hitter for his career over nine seasons, Boston signed Duvall to a one-year deal worth $7 million this offseason. Incentives based on plate appearances could bring the total value up another $3 million. He will surely have a tougher time reaching them now, as fractures of any kind typically require at least 4-6 weeks of recovery.

Tapia and Rob Refsnyder will likely get most of the playing time in center field in Duvall's absence. Neither has a track record for handling the job on an everyday basis but it doesn't appear as though Boston is concerned about Duvall's absence long-term. Jarren Duran could also be an option, though he was left at Triple-A as the team recalled Bobby Dalbec to fill Duvall's place on the active roster.

More must-reads: